Staff Highlights – Fall 2022

Events

#teamBMF enjoyed time together at our first BMFriendsgiving & Holiday Bake-Off to support our United Way Workplace Campaign! Special thanks to all our bakers who brought in their delicious baked goods. But the real thanks go to Sarah’s Cream Cheese Pastry and Jessica’s Royal Icing Cookies, which both tied for first place!

Crain’s Largest Accounting Firms

We are proud to again be listed on Crain’s Largest Accounting Firms list! The list, published annually in the October issue, includes the 36 largest accounting firms in Northeast Ohio and is based on the number of CPAs employed at the firm. BMF ranked No. 14 on this year’s list.

New Associates

We are excited to announce and welcome the following additions to our professional staff.

• Nicholas Hassinger, CPA, MBA, joins us as a Senior Accountant in our Tax Services group. Nick received his bachelor’s in science in Accounting and MBA from Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. Afterwards, Nick began honing his tax skills at a large national CPA firm. Nick is a die-hard Cleveland Browns fan and enjoys playing sports and coaching lacrosse in his spare time. Welcome, Nick!
• Paul Mucha, CPA, CCIFP, joins our Business Advisory Services group as a Senior Manager. Paul brings over 15 years of public accounting experience where he focused on outsourced accounting and financial services. Paul resides in Stow with his wife and daughters and enjoys photography. He would like to visit every major league baseball stadium in the U.S. and has been to 11 out of 30 so far! We’re excited to have him join our team – welcome, Paul!
• Michael J. Pond, MBA, joins our Transaction Advisory practice as a Senior Analyst. Michael received his bachelor’s in Accounting and his MBA from The University of Akron before working within industry as an Internal Auditor. Michael grew up in Massillon and currently lives in Green with his yellow lab, Myles. When he isn’t working, Michael enjoys kayaking, hiking and traveling. Welcome, Michael!
• Andrew Pribonic joins us as a Staff Accountant in our Assurance & Advisory group. Andy graduated from Cleveland State University and then spent two years at a global public distributor as an Internal Auditor. He lives in Barberton and has a squirrel-hunting dog named Boone. After work, Andy loves hunting and cheering on his favorite hockey team, the Cleveland Monsters. He is currently studying for the CPA exam and is excited to grow as an accounting professional with BMF. Welcome Andy!
• Orlando Scott joins us as a Staff Accountant in our Tax Services group. Orlando graduated from Malone University and is pursuing his master’s in accountancy from Western Governors University. Prior to joining BMF, he spent two years honing his skills at a local public accounting firm. Orlando lives in Elyria and loves going to yoga on Sunday mornings with his niece. One of his bucket list items is traveling to Greece, which is tough competition for Lake Erie! Welcome to the team, Orlando!
• Caitlin Stemple, who previously worked with us as a Tax Intern, now joins us as a full-time Staff Accountant in our Tax Services group. She is a proud graduate of The University of Akron and is excited to take her career to the next level! We’re glad you’re sticking around with us, Caitlin!

Staff & Community Updates

Help isn’t just defined in a business context. We encourage our teams to invest in our communities, in each other and in ourselves. Here are some of the ways we’re enhancing our efforts to support our local charities by continuing our roles as nonprofit agency leaders and investing in our individual growth and development.

• Joe Blaha was re-elected to his eighth term as Treasurer of NEOhio Region Sports Car Club of America, which fuels a safe, fun and exciting motorsports experience for auto enthusiasts.
• Sara Martin was appointed President of the John Carroll University Alumni Board, which serves as an advisory board to provide support with programs and planning.
• Jim Merklin led a presentation on Employee Benefit Plans Update at the Allinial Global 2022 Summit & Global Forum. An in honor of his outstanding participation, Jim was recognized for his 20 years of consecutive service on their Accounting & Auditing Committee, with the last six years serving as committee chair. Congratulations, Jim!
• Jonathan Palay has joined the Finance Committee for Centers for Dialysis Care, an independent provider of dialysis and related health services to individuals with kidney failure.
• Stephanie Smith presented at the Allinial Global BD/Marketing Conference on the topic of The Critical Collaboration Between HR & Marketing. She also facilitated a Strengths-based workshop for American Endowment Foundation to help their team leverage their strengths to build trust, increase team engagement and cultivate stronger relationships. CliftonStrengths has become a popular tool for conducting team building at corporations around the globe.